[Quality of life and burden of carers of patients with acquired brain injury]

Introduction: The health impact of acquired brain injury (ABI) is not only apparent in the patient, but also in the loss of health related quality of life (HRQol) of their carers. The objectives of this study were to measure the loss of HRQol as well as the burden of the carers of patients with ABI.

Material and methods: A retrospective study was conducted with 76 carers of patients with ABI. A questionnaire was used to collect information on the sociodemographic aspects, carer burden (Zarit Scale) and the HRQol (EuroQol Questionnaire) of the carers. A multiple linear regression model was constructed to analyse the effect of the different variables.

Results: The carers were predominantly women over 50 years, retired or dedicated to domestic tasks and who cared for their husband or one of their parents. One third showed a high risk of claudication. The mean HRQol obtained with the EuroQol went from a similar score to that of the general population (0.9) in the group without burden, to 0.67 in the group with risk of claudication. The regression models explained the burden better than the loss in quality of life.

Conclusions: Carers of patients with brain injury suffer a significant loss in HRQol compared to the general population. The deterioration arises from the mental dimensions and depends on the level of burden.